Lawson enlisted in the 1st Washington Infantry and served between 1898 and 1899. In 1899, he commissioned as a
first lieutenant in the 39th U.S. Volunteer Infantry. He was honorably mustered out in 1901, but returned to service as a second lieutenant in the artillery branch. He was promoted to first lieutenant again in 1903, and was transferred to the 3rd Field Artillery in 1907. Later that year, he was transferred to the 4th Field Artillery and was promoted to captain. During this time, he was deployed three times to the
Philippines. Lawson also participated in the
United States occupation of Veracruz in 1914 and the
Punitive Expedition in 1916 and 1917. Lawson made colonel on February 6, 1918, and in May that year he became commandant of the
Artillery School at
Fort Sill, Oklahoma. On October 1, 1918, he was promoted to brigadier general. He left the Artillery School in December of that year, and went on to command the 15th Field Artillery Brigade at
Camp Stanley, Texas. At the time of his death, Lawson was on active duty with the organized Reserve at
Fort Bragg,
North Carolina. ==Death==